


Mine Fire

by gaymoonwort



Category: Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Genre: Gen, Wild West AU, guess who's posting angst at midnight, its meeeeeee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-07-01 10:19:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15772140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaymoonwort/pseuds/gaymoonwort
Summary: Sam has to tell the story, because if he doesn't, who will?Retelling of the "where's my cow?" scene in Thud!





	Mine Fire

Mine fire. It happens all the time but he’s never fallen into one. He coughs and retches, but it does no good. Sam claws his way through, lungs burning. The leather holding his braids together constrict in the heat and snap. His hair flies loose, and he smells it burning.  
He will not get out of here alive.  
Death comes to him.  
WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE? It asks.  
“Because I have to tell the story.” Sam grits out.  
Death tilts its head. WHICH STORY? I WOULD SAY YOU HAVE MANY TO TELL.  
Sam squeezes his eyes shut in pain. “The one they wanted me to forget.”

In a little room filled with other children, and smelling of soap and fear, they teach Sam that his heathen language has no place in high society. He will never have playtime, because everyday he screams out the story his mother taught him, spoken in ‘heathen language’. The death of a nation, so to speak.

And now he barely remembers that story. It was so simple. But he knows it. The words are there. He just has to remember….  
"Aaniindi eyaad nimbizhikiim? Nimbizhikiim o'ow? Izhaamagad cluck. Baaka'aakwenh aawan! Gaawiin nimbizhikiim."

**Author's Note:**

> if it isn't clear, the ending dialogue is a (very poorly) translated version of "where's my cow?" from english to ojibwe. although i did my best, im sure that it sounds more than a little broken to native speakers.  
> also sam vimes is native american suck my butt racists


End file.
